Shriya Saran is the happiest in front of a camera. Or when she is on the stage, in a dance recital. The actor, a trained Kathak dancer, has been missing the stage of late. “In India, classical dance performances seem to be on a steady decline,” she observes.

“It takes a long time, extensive practice and immense perseverance to learn a classical dance form. However, over the years, the audience’s size for such performances has decreased. Consequently, enough stage performances are not happening.”

The actor, who was recently seen in Drishyam 2, wants to revive the dance form in the mainstream. She cites the example of veteran actor Hema Malini, who, with her performances, has put the spotlight on Bharatanatyam. “Apart from shooting movies, Hema ji devotes ample time to rehearsals and performances. She is an inspiration for all of us.”

While she has yet to figure out the way forward, Saran believes that encouraging children to take up Kathak should be the first step. “Dance teachers are complaining that there are not enough students. While in south India, parents are keen that their children learn the classical dance forms, it is not as popular in Mumbai. My aim is to get Kathak back into the mainstream. I also want to make it more modern.”